Bavaria – The Berlin Spectatorhttps://berlinspectator.com
This is Berlin.Tue, 05 May 2020 11:57:23 +0000en-US
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3232159402125Söder: Bavaria to Open Up Step by Step, Possible Model Approach for Germanyhttps://berlinspectator.com/2020/05/05/soder-bavaria-to-open-up-step-by-step-possible-model-approach-for-germany/
Tue, 05 May 2020 11:12:31 +0000https://berlinspectator.com/?p=20201After weeks of bans and restrictions, Bavaria is opening up step by step. In Munich, First Minister Markus Söder just introduced his plans and said they could be a blueprint for the rest of Germany.]]>

After weeks of bans and restrictions, Bavaria is opening up step by step. In Munich, First Minister Markus Söder just introduced his plans and said they could be a blueprint for the rest of Germany.

During a press conference in Munich, Markus Söder stressed Bavaria was not acting as quickly as other federal states in Germany, but cautiously and step by step. On the other hand he covered more aspects than any other First Minister. The concept had been discussed with Chancellor Angela Merkel and with the neighboring federal state of Baden-Württemberg, Söder told the press.

Beginning of the End of Restrictions

What he announced sounded like the beginning of the end for most Corona restrictions that have been in place for six weeks. He said this was the right moment because successes in the fight against the spread of the Coronavirus were visible now. For instance, Bavaria had halved its number of infected persons last week.

Starting tomorrow, on May 6th, 2020, people in Bavaria may leave their homes for whatever reason. The contact restrictions remain in place though, meaning any individual may meet with up to one person who lives in a different household.

Playgrounds to Open Tomorrow

Because families were important, his government had wanted to help them, Söder stated. Visits in homes for the elderly will be possible starting this coming weekend. Strict rules apply. For instance masks have to be worn, wherever possible those visits are supposed to take place outdoors, and the number of visitors will be limited.

On Wednesday, all playgrounds in Bavaria will reopen. Before the Christian Pentecost holiday is being observed at the end of the month, kindergartens will partially open. Preschoolers are allowed to return on May 25th. In urgent cases, other children will be cared for too.

Retail to Open Completely

What schools are concerned, Söder said this was not a normal school year, but not a lost one either. According to his plan, students do not have to wear masks in class, but on the schoolyards, in corridors and bathrooms they do. The upcoming vacations will not be shortened in Bavaria, in spite of a national discussion of this kind.

Markus Söder said the reopening of shops a few days ago had worked well, also because people were adhering to the mask rule. He announced, the 800 square meter limit for shops would be dropped on Monday, May 11th. Malls and department stores are allowed to reopen then as well. But the number of customers who may enter shops at the same time will be limited, as it is now.

Restaurants to be Back in Business

On Monday, zoos, museums and memorial sites in Bavaria will be allowed to reopen too, under certain conditions. And certain kinds of sports are legal again. From Monday, people can play tennis or golf again. Riding classes are fine too, even indoors, since they do not require being too close to other people.

The food service industry in Bavaria is back in business, at least in part. From May 18th, restaurants may service customers sitting at outdoor tables. But they have to close by 8 p.m.. Starting on May 25th, restaurants have the permission open indoors as well. Again, strict rules apply.

Tourism Allowed

Every second table may be serviced, there needs to be a lot of distance and special zones for families. No masks need to be worn at the tables, but at all other locations. Chefs and waiters need to wear them at all times. The cutlery needs to be disinfected.

Bavaria is even allowing tourism again, from May 30th. Hotels may reopen. Söder said it was still unclear when the borders would be opened. But Bavaria did provide many opportunities for vacations. Söder said there was still a risk. People needed to act responsibly.

Other States Look Pale

On Monday, Mecklenburg Hither-Pomerania had announced it would allow German tourists to visit its Baltic Sea beaches in summer. Lower Saxony introduced a step-by-step plan to reopen restaurants. Strict rules will apply, including a compulsory reservation and distance between customers.

Other federal states, namely Saxony and Thuringia, announced similar steps for the food service industry. But they now look pale in comparison, because none of their concepts goes as far as Söder just did in Bavaria.

On Wednesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the First Ministers of all sixteen federal states will discuss the Corona rules again. The outcome might be similar to what Markus Söder, who is one of Merkel’s possible successors, just announced for Bavaria.

By the way: The publication you are reading, The Berlin Spectator, was established in January of 2019. We have worked a whole lot, as you can see. But there has hardly been any income. This is something we urgently need to change. Would you consider contributing? We would be very thankful. Our donations page can be found here.

]]>20201Munich: Oktoberfest Cancelled Due To Coronavirushttps://berlinspectator.com/2020/04/21/munich-oktoberfest-2020-cancelled-due-to-corona-4/
Tue, 21 Apr 2020 08:44:00 +0000https://berlinspectator.com/?p=19327The largest festival in the world, the Oktoberfest, will not take place this year. While the reasons for the cancellation are obvious, the damage is gigantic.]]>

The largest festival in the world, the Oktoberfest, will not take place this year. While the reasons for the cancellation are obvious, the damage is gigantic.

If there is one thing the First Minister of Bavaria and the First Mayor of Munich generally hate to do, it is cancelling the Oktoberfest. Today, Markus Söder and Dieter Reiter did so anyway. Many believe they had no choice.

No Distance or Masks

“The two of us are the biggest fans”, Söder said during a press conference with Reiter. He meant the “greatest festival in the world” during which the Mayor of Munich taps the first beer barrel. It is an old tradition. The First Minister of Bavaria gets to take the first gulp. Not this year though.

“As long as there is no vaccine and no medication [against the Coronavirus], we need to be careful”, Markus Söder stated. The risk was simply too big. At the Oktoberfest, “you can neither keep your distance, nor work with masks”, the First Minister said.

Söder, who is part of the conservative CSU, rejected the idea of having a smaller festival, as an alternative. “The ‘Wiesn’ either takes place or it does not”, he told the press in Munich. ‘Wiesn’ is the local word for the Oktoberfest. He and Mayor Reiter had taken the decision to cancel this year’s Oktoberfest together, Söder said. “It hurts us. What a pity. This is not a normal year.”

Enormous Financial Loss

Dieter Reiter, a member of the center-left SPD, stressed the cooperation with Bavaria’s government was excellent. On the other hand, the cancellation of the Oktoberfest was a “bitter pill”, also economically.

Businesses at the Oktoberfest and in the city of Munich usually make more than 1 billion Euro (1.1 billion U.S. Dollars or 0.9 billion Pounds Sterling) during the 16 days it lasts. This includes restaurants and hotels. Waitresses and waiters in the festival’s large beer tents earn up to 12,000 Euro (13,000 Dollars or 10,480 Pounds) during the Oktoberfest.

The tax income generated by the festival is big too. While 70 percent of the event’s visitors are from Bavaria, hundreds of thousands of people from other parts of Germany and the world usually come as well, to drink gallons of beer and to listen to Bavarian music.

Six Million Visitors to Stay at Home

Nowadays, the Oktoberfest does not only include countless beer tents, but also a giant amusement park, which is yet another tourist magnet. The festival itself was founded 210 years ago, in 1810, when Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Today, up to 6 million visitors show up each year.

By the way: The publication you are reading, The Berlin Spectator, was established in January of 2019. We have worked a whole lot, as you can see. But there has hardly been any income. This is something we urgently need to change. Would you consider contributing? We would be very thankful. Our donations page can be found here.

]]>19327Munich: Söder Explains Bavarian Corona Approach, Oktoberfest in Jeopardyhttps://berlinspectator.com/2020/04/16/munich-soder-explains-bavarian-approach-oktoberfest-in-jeopardy-1/
Thu, 16 Apr 2020 11:46:18 +0000https://berlinspectator.com/?p=19035A day after he was part of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Corona conference with Germany's federal states, First Minister Markus Söder introduced the path Bavaria intends to take. He wants to be more careful than others.]]>

A day after he was part of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Corona conference with Germany’s federal states, First Minister Markus Söder introduced the path Bavaria intends to take. He wants to be more careful than others.

The circumstances in Germany, including in Bavaria, were relatively good compared to other countries, Markus Söder said in Munich. “Fortunately, we did not have to go through the kind of situation others did”, the Bavarian First Minister stated. But Germany’s successes were “a delicate little flower”. In order to avoid relapses and a return to harsher measures, the country needed to learn how to live with Corona.

Numbers Cause Optimism

Söder explained that Bavaria had implemented intensive measures earlier than most other federal states. He said the numbers were partially encouraging, but the state now had more than 1,000 Corona-related deaths. “Those are 1,000 too many”, Söder stated. The doubling time had increased from two to 22 days by now and the infection rate was below 1. These numbers made him optimistic, Söder said.

The doubling time is the time it takes the number of persons infected with the Coronavirus to double. And the infection rate is the number of individuals each infected person passes the virus on to, statistically. As long as that number is below 1, the infection will vanish at some point, in theory.

Time-Displaced Reaction

Söder made clear what he does not want, namely an “uncontrolled exit strategy”. Bavaria intended to react in a time-displaced way in order to see how the measures affected the number of infections, he said. “We are sticking to the strategy we were following so far. Where we ease measures, we take action for more protection.”

What reopening businesses is concerned, the Bavarian government wanted to be more careful than others, even though the fears of business owners would be taken seriously. Reopening retail businesses required preparation, Söder explained. That is why the dates differed from those listed in the document that had been approved in Berlin on Wednesday.

Prayer Services in May

Bavaria will let home improvement stores and gardening shops open this coming Monday, April 20th, 2020. On April 27th, shops with an area of up to 800 square meters (8,600 square feet) have permission to open. Hairdressers and foot care businesses will have to wait until May 4th. In all cases, hygiene and distance rules apply. In May, Söder wants to allow prayer services at churches, mosques and synagogues.

Regarding schools, Bavaria is allowing exams to take place from April 27th in the upper secondary school grades. Other grades may return to school on May 11th. Primary schools and kindergartens would have to remain closed for now, Söder stated.

Oktoberfest Might Be Cancelled

The one thing people around the world think of when they read or hear the word ‘Bavaria’ is the Oktoberfest. While no decision has been taken to cancel it, things do not look too good in this regard either. Söder said he was very skeptical and did not believe it could take place this year.

On January 27th, 2020, Bavaria was the first federal state to report a Coronavirus case. With more than 35,000 infected persons, it is the province most affected by the crisis today.

By the way: The publication you are reading, The Berlin Spectator, was established in January of 2019. We have worked a whole lot, as you can see. But there has hardly been any income. This is something we urgently need to change. Would you consider contributing? We would be very thankful. Our donations page can be found here.

]]>19035Germany: The Coronavirus and the Restrictions Messhttps://berlinspectator.com/2020/03/21/germany-the-coronavirus-and-the-restrictions-mess/
Sat, 21 Mar 2020 06:31:04 +0000https://berlinspectator.com/?p=17432Because of its federalist system, Germany's federal states take big decisions themselves. Now, in the Coronavirus crisis, this aspect has led to a major chaos of regulations.]]>

Update March 21st, 2020, 11:17 a.m.

Because of its federalist system, Germany’s federal states take big decisions themselves. Now, in the Coronavirus crisis, this aspect has led to a major chaos of regulations.

Germany’s federalism is great, until it is not. In the Coronavirus crisis, the country’s sixteen federal states have the right to implement their own rules and restrictions. Early on Saturday, a curfew is Bavaria took effect. Residents are allowed to leave their homes only when they go to work, when they shop for food or when they go to their doctor. The small Saarland followed suit, in the rest of Germany anyone may go anywhere he or she pleases.

‘Patchwork Rug’ of Rules

Some federal states imposed new rules for gatherings. In Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate, meetings or events with more than five participants are forbidden. In Baden-Württemberg, up to three people may meet, in Hamburg the limit was set to six. This is what Germans call a “patchwork rug” of bans and regulations which, many believe, is not really helpful in a situation like this one.

To some, Bavaria’s First Minister Markus Söder is a hero who is surging ahead and doing what needs to be done with his curfew. Others believe he just wanted to be in the center of the attention again. Söder’s critics believe he could have waited until Chancellor Angela Merkel discusses the situation with all First Ministers later this weekend because they might agree on a national rule all of them could have implemented at the same time.

Lack of Understanding

Now the solo action in Bavaria and the action taken by other federal states leads to confusion and a rather big mess. On the other hand many people in all of Germany may not have understood what kind of alarming situation everyone is in. They kept on ignoring what the experts and the federal government have asked them to do for several weeks now, which is to stay at home and not to gather on streets or in parks, which is the situation Söder wanted to end sooner rather than later.

It remains to be seen how Germany behaves today. According to Chancellery Minister Helge Braun, the government will monitor the situation. Any decision for or against a nationwide curfew on Sunday will depend on the question whether the nation shows that it has understood or not.

This is what Berlin looked like today. The city center is usually crammed on Saturdays.

Corona Death in Berlin

In Germany, the number of persons infected with the Coronavirus hit 20,000 this morning. In Germany’s largest federal state North Rhine-Westphalia alone more than 6,000 individuals were infected. Baden-Württemberg was at 3,600, Bavaria at 3,100 and Lower Saxony had more than 1,200 cases. In Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Berlin, the 1,000 mark will likely be exceeded today.

A 95-year-old man died of the disease caused by the Coronavirus on Friday in Berlin. He was the first person to pass away as a result of the spread of the virus in the German capital, where Governing Mayor Michael Müller and his Senators intend to discuss stricter regulations this weekend as well. At one retirement home in Würzburg, nine people reportedly died of the respiratory illnesses caused by the Coronavirus, and many caretakers are infected.

Still Stuck at Tourist Destinations

Some Berlin districts are about to close their playgrounds as well, schools are postponing their Abitur (equivalent of high school diplomas in North America or A-levels in Britain) exams. Along with the number of infected, the number of jobless Berliners is rising rapidly, because of the virus. All over Berlin, residents opened their windows on 9:00 p.m. on Friday in order to applaud doctors, nurses and others who are working relentlessly on helping and saving people.

In the meantime, tens of thousands of German tourists are still stuck in many countries around the world. Days ago, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas jump-started a retrieval program the federal government allocated 50 million Euro (56 million U.S. Dollars or 45 million Pounds Sterling) for. In an interview with the ARD radio and TV network, he said some 10,000 people per day would be flown home at this stage.

Retrieval from Latin America

Maas stated, up to 200,000 Germans needed to be picked up. At this stage, retrievals from Argentina, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines and Tunisia had the highest priority. According to the Foreign Minister, 20,000 Germans were already picked up from Turkey and 25,000 from Spain. Up to 35,000 German tourists were stuck in Egypt.

By the way: The publication you are reading, The Berlin Spectator, was established in January of 2019. We have worked a whole lot, as you can see. But there has hardly been any income. This is something we urgently need to change. Would you consider contributing? We would be very thankful. Our donations page can be found here.

]]>17432Corona Crisis in Germany: Söder Wants Quicker Reactions and Decisionshttps://berlinspectator.com/2020/03/17/corona-crisis-in-germany-soder-wants-quicker-reactions-and-decisions/
Tue, 17 Mar 2020 05:40:14 +0000https://berlinspectator.com/?p=17130In Germany, the First Minister of Bavaria, Markus Söder, demanded swifter reactions and decisions in the Coronavirus crisis. The challenge posed by the virus was bigger than anticipated.]]>

Update March 17th, 2020, 10:20 a.m. CET

In Germany, the First Minister of Bavaria, Markus Söder, demanded swifter reactions and decisions in the Coronavirus crisis. The challenge posed by the virus was bigger than anticipated.

Fifty-one days ago, there was not a single known Coronavirus case in Germany. This morning, 7,272 infected persons were in quarantine or treated at hospitals. Seventeen Germans have died from the respiratory disease caused by the virus. The number of cases has doubled since Friday, tripled since Thursday and quadrupled since Wednesday. Experts expect the situation to worsen further.

Professor Lothar Wieler, the head of the Robert Koch Institute, said his institution had now increased the health risk level for people in Germany from moderate to high. As always he stressed all recommendations needed to be adhered to. It was imperative to slow down the spread of the Coronavirus in order to make sure the health system, and especially intensive care wards in Germany’s hospitals, would not be overburdened.

Söder Wants to Accelerate Things

The federal government and the sixteen federal states just agreed to strict new measures that are supposed to slow down the spread of the Coronavirus. Chancellor Angela Merkel announced closures of shops and many other facilities on Monday. Now Bavaria’s First Minister Markus Söder wants quicker reactions and decisions.

On Monday, Söder had declared a state of emergency in Bavaria. In an interview with ZDF television he said Bavaria was affected more than some other states because of its location at the south-eastern border. By declaring a state of emergency he had also wanted to encourage the rest of Germany to react more swiftly and quickly if necessary.

Good Cooperation with Some States

“Frankly, we need more speed regarding decisions in Germany”, Söder said. “We can not just keep debating, but need to take decisions.” The First Minister stated there was a good cooperation with federal states like Baden-Württemberg, Saarland or Schleswig-Holstein. On the other hand there were cases of provinces in which those in charge needed to be convinced to act.

Because of Germany’s federalism, the sixteen federal states the country consists of get to take big decisions themselves. For instance, this applies to education but also medical policies. In this crisis, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the provinces and city states finally agreed to swift measures they are taking together.

Retail Business Loses 1 Billion per Day

Neither Merkel nor Söder or any other politicians rule out even stricter measures. For the time being they hope the closure of some borders Interior Minister Seehofer announced two days ago and the closure of many kinds of establishments will have an effect.

One of the effects is negative: At this stage the German retail business is losing 1.15 billion Euro (1.29 billion Dollars or 1.05 Pounds Sterling) per day because of the Coronavirus crisis and the decisions taken. According to the German Retail Association, quoted by the ‘Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung’ daily, there will be bankruptcies within four weeks.

E.U. Mights Close its Borders

For the European Union, Ursula von der Leyen, the German President of the European Commission, wants an entry ban. She said she would send a proposal to the heads of government in the E.U. which would include a ban on “unnecessary trips” into the European Union. This travel ban, should it be implemented, would last for 30 days and could be prolonged if necessary.

“The less trips there are, the more we can dam the virus”, von der Leyen said in a podcast. Her ban would include exceptions for E.U. citizens, their family members, “foreigners” who have lived in the E.U. for a long time, the transport business and people who contribute to the fight against the Coronavirus.

By the way: The publication you are reading, The Berlin Spectator, was established in January of 2019. We have worked a whole lot, as you can see. But there has hardly been any income. This is something we urgently need to change. Would you consider contributing? We would be very thankful. Our donations page can be found here.

]]>17130Ozan Iyibas: The German Muslim Who Wants to Become Mayor in Bavariahttps://berlinspectator.com/2020/01/29/ozan-iyibas-the-german-muslim-who-wants-to-become-mayor-in-bavaria/
Tue, 28 Jan 2020 23:01:00 +0000https://berlinspectator.com/?p=14358Large German media do not usually cover candidates for mayor in small Bavarian communities. In the case of Ozan Iyibas, things are a little different. That is because he is a Muslim who runs for the conservative CSU.]]>

Large German media do not usually cover candidates for mayor in small Bavarian communities. In the case of Ozan Iyibas, things are a little different. That is because he is a Muslim who runs for the conservative CSU.

The CSU (Christian Social Union) is the Bavarian sister party of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU (Christian Democratic Union). In Bavaria, the CDU is not existent, but the CSU is. In the rest of the Federal Republic of Germany, the CDU has attracted conservative voters since 1949.

Mayor vs. Musilm Mayor

Down south, the CSU is even more conservative than the CDU is elsewhere. The federal state’s First Minister Markus Söder (read separate article Markus Söder: The Natural) has even established a mandatory crucifix rule. All authorities need to put one up on their wall. Yes, the CSU stands for that kind of conservatism. But this does not mean they are trying to revive the Middle Ages in all areas.

The opposite is the case: Söder and his party wants to be greener than The Greens, more emancipated than the Social Democrats and they love advanced technology more than anyone. Their attempt to fight the extremist right-wing ‘AfD’ by sounding almost like them in the field of migration policies backfired. But that was a long time ago.

While most other major parties in Germany do have Muslim Bundestag MPs, while they appoint Muslims in high positions, the CSU has not really been known to do so. But times are changing in Bavaria too. Ozan Iyibas is proof. He wants to be Mayor of Neufahrn rather than the Muslim Mayor of Neufahrn. But at this stage, his origin and religion are what makes him a media star.

A Million Ideas

Iyibas does get nasty letters from racist contemporaries. Just the other day, an anonymous sender told him he would belong to Bavaria and the CSU “like that wart on my ass belongs to my body, meaning not at all”. But the opposite is the case: That wart, in case the sender really has one, does belong to his body, and Ozan Iyibas is definitely a Bavarian CSU politician.

When he isn’t being asked about his origin, Iyibas talks about local and regional politics. This is what he likes. And he develops a million ideas all the time. For instance, Ozan Iyibas wants to give more priority to primary education, he is fighting for improvements to public transport and its infrastructure.

He also wants to help skilled crafts and trades as well as mid-sized companies, and an intensive communication with the business world. According to Iyibas, any political decisions taken need to be in line with the agricultural policy which is so important in his community located to the north of Munich, and with nature protection.

Passionate Politician

He wants even more, including better Internet connections, investments into Bavaria’s health policies and hospitals. Volunteerism should be strengthened and supported, he believes. On top of it all, Ozan Iyibas says politicians and other citizens should cooperate and respect each other more.

His agenda shows the following: Iyibas is a young and passionate politician who wants to do everything at the same time. He may have Turkish roots, but he is German, he is Bavarian, he is a CSU member, and he belongs to his home community down there in Neufahrn. He was born there and has been there almost all his life.

Iyibas used to be a banker. He could swap his CV with a Christian neighbor whose great-great-great-grandparents milked cows right there in Neufahrn and nobody would notice the difference, with one exception: Ozan Iyibas is more diligent than anyone, and probably the most hardworking Bavarian of them all.

The coin has a flip side: In Wallerstein, Şener Şahin recently wanted to become candidate for mayor. When parts of the local CSU staged a revolution against the candidacy, because Şahin is a Muslim, he pulled out of the race.

By the way: The publication you are reading, The Berlin Spectator, was established in January of 2019. We have worked a whole lot, as you can see. But there has hardly been any income. This is something we urgently need to change. Would you consider contributing? We would be very thankful. Our donations page can be found here.

]]>14358Markus Söder: The Naturalhttps://berlinspectator.com/2019/10/20/markus-soder-the-natural-1/
Sun, 20 Oct 2019 04:48:11 +0000https://berlinspectator.com/?p=1172Two years before the next elections for the Berlin Bundestag, none of the major parties has named candidates for Chancellor yet. And they have good reasons to wait. But in the conservative camp, there is one rising star who might have big ambitions.]]>

Two years before the next elections for the Berlin Bundestag, none of the major parties has named candidates for Chancellor yet. And they have good reasons to wait. But in the conservative camp, there is one rising star who might have big ambitions.

If Chancelor Angela Merkel’s grand coalition in Berlin survives the entire legislative period, the next general elections will take place in the fall of 2021. At some point next year, the major parties will have to come up with candidates for the Chancellery.

Low Profile

The way things stand right now, the Social Democrats (SPD) are not really a major party anymore, meaning they can refrain from choosing a candidate. They will pick someone anyway, but they do not even have a party chairman or chairlady at this point.

Looking at the polling numbers, the Greens have far more reason to pick a candidate for Chancellor. Who knows? It might be Annalena Baerbock or her colleague Robert Habeck. Most other parties are too weak to even consider what they would do in the Chancellery. They will not get there.

From today’s point of view, the conservatives (Merkel’s CDU and its Bavarian sister party CSU) are trying to keep a low profile in this regard. And they know why. The CDU’s relatively new chairlady, Minister of Defense Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (a.k.a. AKK), who would have the first opportunity to enter the ring, at least under normal circumstances, is not too popular these days, even inside her own party.

No Early Bird

Angela Merkel is getting ready to become a pensioner or an elderly stateswoman in two years from now. Within the CDU, there might be people with ambitions, such as its floor leader in the Berlin Bundestag, Ralph Brinkhaus. But since hardly anyone outside Berlin seems to know him and since he is a Merkel foe, he is definitely not at the top of the list right now.

All of this leads to the question whether the next conservative candidate for Chancellor should even be searched for in Berlin, or rather elsewhere. In a city called Munich, someone with a top post in the conservative camp might be ready to go for it. So far, Markus Söder rejects all questions in that direction, not necessarily because he does not want to do it, but because he has to keep quiet in this regard. It is too early.

Söder knows the risk of getting burned is high for any candidate who might try to be the early bird. As an admirer of his late predecessor Franz-Josef Strauss (German spelling: Strauß), he also knows that kind of thing has happened to a CSU leader before. So he is careful. At the same time, Söder does show off his expertise on a wide range of topics. It could be his intention to prepare the country for his candidacy step by step.

Quite a Show

Within the CSU, he insists on changes. Even the CSU has discovered a species which has not really been a priority so far: the woman. Söder wants his party to be more female and younger.

“Nobody will vote for us because we were good in the past”, Söder told the ‘Süddeutsche Zeitung’ daily on Friday. Modernizing parties in this kind of direction is not exactly the strength of conservative men in general. But Söder, the natural, wants to be smarter in this regard, smarter than Seehofer, Strauß or even the late Helmut Kohl. The Reunification Chancellor was successful, but old-fashioned.

But back to Markus Söder. On Friday, he was reelected chairman of the CSU by more than 91 percent of the delegates at the party convention. That success was probably well-deserved since he had put on quite a show by generally convincing his party. But the quota for women he wanted was rejected by those delegates who are ‘conservative’ in the truest sense of the word. The outcome: There is no quota, but just a ‘recommendation’ to include more women.

A Broad Hint

Apart from blasting Turkey for its military operation in Syria and including other foreign policy fields which the governor of Bavaria usually has no say on, he talked about how united and strong the CSU was today, as opposed to a year ago, just before the last state legislature election, when the problems piled up and absolutely everything was doubted in Munich.

Söder used a very interesting sentence, about two minutes into his big speech on Friday. He stated, a year after the crisis “we are in pretty good shape. Some even think we are capable of more than only being successful in Bavaria.” If that wasn’t a broad hint, what is?

In the history of German politics since 1949, there were quite a few gifted rhetoricians, strong personalities who would shoot any opponents down with quick-witted responses. In the SPD, Helmut Schmidt and Gerhard Schröder were people of this kind. In the conservative sister parties CDU and CSU, mainly one name comes into one’s mind, namely Strauss.

The Right Guy?

Today, things are different. Hardly any high-ranking or prominent Berlin politician has those traits. The exceptions would be Gregor Gysi from The Left (‘Die Linke’) and maybe, to a certain extent, Christian Lindner, the chairmain of the FDP. At the federal state level, there is one leader who fits the category well: Markus Söder.

As an adolescent, he already was a big admirer of Strauss, who was something like a Bavarian father figure on an overdose of Red Bull. His supporters idolized him, many still do, in spite of the fact that Strauss was responsible for a long list of scandals which rocked the still relatively new Federal Republic of Germany in the 1950-s, 60-s and 70-s.

Strauss was suspected of accepting advantage several times during his long career. But none of those accusations ever stuck. The Starfighter Scandal did hit him though, when Strauss was Defense Minister in Bonn. So did the ‘Spiegel Affair’, which was a test for the then young Western German democracy. It was caused by Strauss who had to leave Bonn and return to Bavaria as a result.

The Other Side of the Camera

Markus Söder had a big Strauss poster on the ceiling of his bedroom when he was a teenager. “When I woke up, I looked at him”, he said in an interview years ago. Söder did admit that it was not easy when his girlfriend spent the night with him, because she would see Strauss as well, the minute she opened her eyes in the morning.

Armed with an excellent Abitur (the equivalent of the A-Level or high-school diploma) grade, Markus Söder studied law and became a trainee at Bayerischer Rundfunk, the Bavarian division of the nationwide ARD radio and TV network, meaning he was on the other side of the microphone and the camera, decades before becoming a politician. He knows how to make an impression in front of cams and mics.

Early on, he became a member of the CSU and its youth organization, which he led for eight years. With his rhetoric gift and sharp mind, he convinced many party friends and climbed up the ladder. Soon he would be part of the CSU’s leadership and got several minister posts in Bavaria. Then he was his party’s Secretary General, a job which gave him nationwide attention too.

Course Reversal

It’s not like Söder was always loved by all party colleagues. Some criticized his “politics style”, others accused him of concentrating on populist subjects and on himself too much. Also he disgruntled more moderate CSU members by defending ultra-conservative positions for a while.

For instance he suggested Germany’s national anthem should be sung at schools more, because this would help with the integration of immigrants. In an interview he once suggested the crucifix should be visible at schools rather than the hijab.

During the peak of the refugee crisis in 2015, he called the fundamental right to apply for asylum into question. Just before his first election as Minister President, Söder first tried to sound at least as firm on immigration as the extremist right-wing party AfD. When he noticed that approach did more damage than good, he reversed course.

Markus Söder, who is 52 years old, reached his long-cherished goal in January. He finally got the maximum amount of power anyone can have in Bavaria. Even though the former CSU chairman, Germany’s Interior Minister Horst Seehofer and Söder himself kept on repeating they had gotten along with each other quite well, they had not.

For a long time, there was some kind of a feud between the two. At times they cooperated, e.g. when they endangered Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition government, a year ago, with their rather stubborn position on immigration. But Markus Söder finally won. When Seehofer announced he would give up his party chairman post, Söder did not even have to fight in order to become his successor. His people at the Munich state parliament asked him to take over.

‘Greener than Green’

Söder says he wants unity in his party. Does he mean people should shut up, listen to him and approve everything he says? Not officially. But his claim to power, backed by the two powerful posts he is holding, and combined with his approach so far, suggest this is how things might work.

Söder is known for being an environmentalist. Several times he has said he wanted to be “greener than the Greens.” Stability, politically and economically, is something he wants as well. Now the CSU even wants to approach the LGBT community. This is almost sensational since the party is not exactly known for a lot of tolerance here either.

The CSU intends to get back into the 40 to 50 percent range at elections. If any party in Germany or in any German province might actually achieve that goal again, it is the CSU. While big cities in Bavaria, such as Munich, are being governed by the Social Democrats, the province as a whole has been ruled by the CSU since 1957, without interruption. At times they needed a junior partner for a coalition.

These are the times Markus Söder wants to revive by going ‘Back to the Future’, in a way. Women, young leaders, environmentalism and the convincing speeches and actions of one man, the natural himself, are supposed to make it happen.

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]]>1172Munich: Oktoberfest 2019 to Attract Millions of Visitorshttps://berlinspectator.com/2019/08/30/germany-oktoberfest-to-attract-millions-1/
Fri, 30 Aug 2019 06:00:40 +0000http://berlinspectator.com/?p=208This year’s Oktoberfest is about to commence. The main activity remains drinking. While modern items such as e-scooters and drones are forbidden at the ‘Wiesn’ location, exaggerated beer prices are allowed. So are special guests, such as Barack Obama.]]>

In Munich, this year’s Oktoberfest is about to commence. The main activity remains drinking. While modern items such as e-scooters and drones are forbidden at the ‘Wiesn’ location, exaggerated beer prices are allowed. So are special guests, such as Barack Obama.

The Oktoberfest started when Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen on October 12th, 1810. People were invited to drink and celebrate on a field called Theresienwiese. The royal couple is not alive anymore, but the location is. So is the drinking.

Convincing Concept

Coming together and drinking like crazy, while listening to Bavarian music: The concept of the Oktoberfest is as simple as it is convincing. So, the fact that the traditional event has been exported is not really a surprise.

The Oktoberfest Chicago offers “steins”, whatever they think that is, and sausages at 14 spots in the Windy City. In the Valencia neighbourhood of Santa Clarita (California), a local brewery is staging an Oktoberfest too. And in the beautiful Mexican town of Morelia, the local Oktoberfest is about “¡Amor, alegría y cerveza fría!“, love, joy and cold beer. ¡Muy simpático, paisanos!

The virus is spreading in Europe as well. In Budapest, the Oktoberfest usually takes place at Kincsem Park. Brașov, in Central Romania, usually is in it too, with an Oktoberfest at the Stadionul Municipal. Even Sofia, the Bulgarian capital, usually has its version of the Bavarian drinking event.

Oktoberfest Offshoots in Berlin and Hamburg

Within Germany, some small offshoots of the Oktoberfest are scheduled to take place as well. There will be twelve of those in Berlin alone, including the ‘Oktoberfest at Alexanderplatz’ which will commence on September 20th and end on October 6th. There will be more of them in Spandau, Lichterfelde and other parts of the German capital.

In Hamburg, the city’s main Oktoberfest is scheduled to take place on the parking lot at top of the Karstadt department store at ‘Mönckebergstraße’, from September 2nd to 28th. More versions of the Bavarian beer fest will take place in Hamburg’s Bergedorf, Langenhorn, Wandsbek and Schenefeld boroughs. Yet another one was announced at the the Fish Auction Hall. Most German cities will have their own versions. In Frankfurt, a big one commences on September 11th in front of ‘Commerzbank Arena’.

Those beer glasses are heavy. Photo: ‘Markburger 83’

But let’s stick to the main Oktoberfest in Munich. Bavarians simply call it the ‘Wiesn’. The original is scheduled to start on September 21st, 2019, in countless beer tents all over the Theresienwiese. It ends on October 6th. In Bavaria, even politicians need to get drunk at the event. So, why would that be? Well, because.

Biggest Festival on the Planet

In 1910, when the ‘Wiesn’ celebrated its 100th anniversary, the ‘Pschorr-Bräurosl’ tent was the largest ever. It accommodated 12,000 guests. Back then, 12,000 hectoliters of beer were served. The drinking had to stop during the two world wars. The Oktoberfest was cancelled then. For the 200th anniversary, in 2010, additional historic tents were set up. We will see what they will come up with in 2110. Maybe they will serve even more beer and pretzels.

Tragedy struck on September 26th, 1980, when a bomb exploded at the main entrance to the event. Thirteen people died on the spot, including Gundolf Köhler, the culprit.

Today, the Oktoberfest is the biggest public festival of them all, on the entire planet. Critics of this kind of German culture might call it the largest beer orgy of all time, with 5 to 6 million visitors every year, or the craziest meeting of potential alcoholics. Sure, it’s a matter of taste.

Bavarian ‘Music’ Mandatory

But Bavarians and international tourists can’t get enough of the Schuhplattler dances, the pretzels, the fluids, and of urinating all over the ‘Wiesn’. Many Americans show up every year. So do Japanese and Australian visitors, and of course the Austrians, the Dutch and the Italians.

In 2010, more than 7 million liters of beer were served. The operators of the fourteen huge beer tents on site are being forced to play Bavarian brass music until 6:00 p.m. every night. Later they may switch to Pop music. Frankly speaking, it is hard to say what is worse.

A giant wheel and countless other amusement rides are also being set up. They will make the drunk throw up even more. But that’s what all the fun is about, right?

Big Price Tag on Beer

In Munich, all ways lead to the Oktoberfest in Munich. The location can be accessed easily from one of these three U-Bahn (subway, underground, metro) stations: Theresienwiese, Schwanthalerhöhe and Goetheplatz.

Oh, by the way, there is a problem. It’s the beer price at the ‘Wiesn’. One ‘Maß’, meaning one liter, will cost anywhere between 11.50 and 15.90 Euro (12.70 to 17.50 Dollars or 10.40 to 14.40 Pounds Sterling), depending what kind of beer and which tent we are talking about.

For security reasons, no drones or e-scooters are allowed on or near the ‘Theresienwiese’. By the way: St. Paul’s Church is closed for renovation. So there won’t be any panoramic Oktoberfest views from the top of its tower either.

Obama Might Join

But there is good news too: An ‘Oktoberfest App’ will show users where to get drunk and where their drunk friends are located. On top of it all, there might be a very prominent guest from a country called the United States of America: Former President Barack Obama might show up. At least he will hold a speech at the ‘Bits & Pretzels’ conference, part of which takes place at the ‘Wiesn’. Oh yes, we can!

Of course rules need to be followed. Large backpacks or bags are forbidden on the premises. So are any vehicles, sprays, glass bottles, knives or other weapons and animals. Baby strollers are not allowed on Saturdays, on October 3rd (German Unity Day) or after 6 p.m., for security reasons.

The Oktoberfest will be open Mondays to Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., while no beer will be served after 10:30 p.m., at least officially. On Saturdays and Sundays, the ‘Wiesn’ opens at 9:00 a.m. and closes at midnight. More details can be found here, on the Oktoberfest’s official website.

]]>208Bavaria: Snow Disaster Leads to Chaoshttps://berlinspectator.com/2019/01/11/bavaria-snow-disaster-leads-to-chaos/
Fri, 11 Jan 2019 11:34:01 +0000https://berlinspectator.com/?p=965In cases like these, the administrative district office coordinate the deployment of fire brigades, the Federal Agency for Technical Relief and volunteers. The German army is active as well. In several parts of Berchtesgaden, soldiers had to rescue patients of an asthma in track vehicles. They also transported food to municipalities cut off from the rest of the world by all the snow.]]>

Weather forecasters in Germany have painted a grim picture for the coming days. Since more snow is on its way, the situation in parts of Bavaria will like deteriorate. Another Bavarian county, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, was just declared a disaster zone. The counties Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen, Miesbach, Traunstein and parts of Berchtesgadener Land had been on the disaster list before.

In cases like these, the administrative district office coordinate the deployment of fire brigades, the Federal Agency for Technical Relief and volunteers. The German army is active as well. In Berchtesgaden, soldiers had to rescue patients of an asthma clinic in track vehicles. They also transported food to municipalities cut off from the rest of the world by all the snow.

Along with other helpers, Bundeswehr soldiers were also busy removing tons of snow from buildings. Several sports halls were closed to the public because their roofs might collapse. Eleven years ago, 15 people died in a gymnasium in the town of Bad Reichenhall, when its roof gave in to the snow.

At Munich’s Franz Josef Strauss Airport, as many as 110 flights were cancelled on Friday. While 90 of them were scrapped due to the snowfall, 20 more were called off because of air traffic controller strikes in Italy. A spokesperson at the airport said the airlines were the ones who decided about the cancellation of flights.

Many train connections in Bavaria and neighboring Austria were not in operation. On the Federal Freeway A8, countless vehicles got stuck in a blizzard on Thursday night. The Red Cross set up service points on the Autobahn, in order to provide hot tea and snacks to the drivers and their passengers. A similar situation with stuck vehicles was reported from the German-Austrian border.

The snow was also blamed for far more than 100 road accidents since Wednesday. In Munich the authorities said the S-Bahn (city train) was delayed on several lines, because of fallen trees on the tracks. Passengers had to expect longer travel times.

Several skiing slopes in Bavaria remained closed. Avalanche warnings are in place in both Bavaria and Austria. Hikes and sleigh riding are forbidden around Berchtesgaden as well as in other areas. Trees pose a danger, since they keep on falling under all the snow.

So far twelve residents in Bavaria and Austria have been killed in weather-related accidents since the snow crisis began.

In the meantime, the next problem is a foregone conclusion. That is because more snow is on its way. For Bavaria, forecasters predicted heavy snowfall over the weekend and early next week.

]]>965Snow Disaster: Austria to Induce Avalancheshttps://berlinspectator.com/2019/01/09/snow-disaster-austria-to-induce-avalanches/
Wed, 09 Jan 2019 13:56:23 +0000https://berlinspectator.com/?p=873Today the central Austrian municipality Hochkar became an official disaster zone. Here and in other regions, roads were closed. The famous Hochkar Alpine Road had been cleared on Tuesday. Today, it needed to be closed again today due to all the snow and because trees which could not withstand the weight of the snow fell and blocked the road.]]>

Because of the excessive snow fall in many parts of Austria, the authorities in charge intend to blow up large snow slabs in the Alps, using explosives. That way they want to cause avalanches to go off in a controlled way. Experts believe this might happen on Friday, when the ongoing snowfall will cease at least for a few hours, according to forecasters.

Today the central Austrian municipality Hochkar became an official disaster zone. Here and in other regions, roads were closed. The famous Hochkar Alpine Road had been cleared on Tuesday. Today, it needed to be closed again today due to all the snow and because trees which could not withstand the weight of the snow fell and blocked the road.

Other areas in Austria were declared disaster zones too, including Styria, where the highest avalanche warning, level 5, is in place. The country’s army is expected in the Hochkar region. Soldiers are supposed to clear buildings from the snow and help residents who are marooned.

In Upper Austria the situation was not better. In and around the city of Linz, the fire brigade was in charge of removing snow from roofs, in order to make sure they do not get crushed.

The radio and TV network ORF reported, schools in the Austrian diaster zones had sent students and teachers home because their way to school and back home was simply too dangerous. Also they were afraid everyone might be cut off from the rest of the world at schools all over the affected regions.

Austrian authorities keep on telling people to refrain from skiing, warning them of the dangers, which have already cost several lives in the past days. Tourists who stayed in huts on skiing slopes had to be rescued and sent home. In some parts of central Austria, 2 to 3 meters of snow (79 to 118 inches) were measured.

Across the border, in Bavaria, the situation was difficult as well. Here too, residents and tourists were cut off in alpine villages. Roads were blocked by snow and fallen trees.

In some cases, the local authorities had food sent to inhabitants. The goods were transported in trucks with snow chains. Because more snow was forecast, those affected are not expecting an improvement of the situation anytime soon.

In Miesbach county and the municipalities Pusterwald, Pölstal and Hohentauern, disaster alerts are in place. Like in Austria, the highest avalanche alerts were valid in some regions, where traffic on roads and train tracks basically collapsed. The Autobahn A27 was affected too.

In northern Germany, on the other hand, there was no snow. Instead a storm surge was reported, which affects the Baltic Sea coast. In Hamburg, authorities warned ships of approaching storms and floods. Parts of Lübeck’s Old Town are already flooded.